


Brains and Brawn

by CatLady86



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen, Kinkmeme, Mild Language, book nerd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-19
Updated: 2018-02-19
Packaged: 2019-03-21 01:57:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13730676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatLady86/pseuds/CatLady86
Summary: Sometimes Gladio grows bored of people thinking he's an uneducated muscle man and just wants to find someone who shares his passion for books and history.





	Brains and Brawn

**Author's Note:**

> This was one I did a while ago, finally got over my nervousness to post it. Enjoy! :D https://ffxv-kinkmeme.dreamwidth.org/4113.html?thread=6990353#cmt6990353

Gladio sighs as he takes a seat outside the Caravan by himself, getting ready to read one of his books while the others were off and about. Ignis had ventured into the store to stock up on necessities while the younger two were over at the Crow’s Nest playing pinball and stuffing their faces with greasy fries since the resident mom of the group was preoccupied.

He overhears chattering from across the lot, seeing a group of young men his age having a conversation amongst themselves while also eyeing some girls nearby. He frowns and returns to his book, letting himself become enraptured by it until loud laughter catches his attention and drags him back to the group, starting to feel a tad lonely.

It’s not like he’s afraid to go over and strike up a conversation with them, hell, he’ll become the center of attention with them after a couple minutes. It’s more to do that he’ll get bored with their conversation after the third or so time they talk about how many beers they knocked back, chicks they scored with, or awesome musicians they watched in Lestallum; not that Gladio doesn’t enjoy those things or talking about them, he just has other interests that aren't booze, babes, or bands. Sadly, not many people know of his love of books and culture, thinking he’s all brawn and no brain; that he’s just some muscled hot guy with a killer tattoo that talks like those frat guys in terrible _‘Adult’_ comedy movies.

He learned relatively early on that people do base their assumptions on him primarily because of how he looks, so it doesn’t really bother him anymore. It does with the others even if he tells them he’s not a dainty little flower in need of having his honor defended; even if getting to watch a group of guys run away crying after getting a tongue lashing by Ignis, or his sister when she's around. And speaking of the Advisor, he does enjoy staying up and waxing on about the beauty of the architecture seen in Altissia and how it was inspired by olden Tenebrae; but their conversation only can go so far before Ignis directs it to either Noctis or their journey. Gladio knows those are the most important things, but not before bed when he wants to unwind and forget the stress of the day. He sometimes wishes there was someone else he could talk with, someone who wasn’t part of their little circle or didn’t just take one look at him and scream _‘DERR’_ in his face when he goes to talk. He had sorta hoped Sania was about when they stopped at this rest station for the night, despite her eccentricities she was a blast to talk to with her knowledge of nature. But alas, no such luck, maybe after this trip to the Disc of Cauthess tomorrow he’ll have more luck.

“Hey there.” a soft, but slightly flirty voice says.

Gladio looks up from his book and is greeted by a young woman who was hanging before by the group of guys. “Hi.” 

“You look really bored, why don’t you put down that book and come hang with us? I’m sure we are way more interesting.”

Probably not, but he’ll humor them. He sets his book down and follows the woman, noticing how her gate changes from subtly flirty to downright showboating. 

“Hey bro, how’s it going? What brings you out this way?” one of the men questions, looking the bodyguard up and down. 

“Fine, visited my sister in Lestallum, now my group and I are heading over to view the Disc of Cauthess.” 

“Seriously? That sounds boring as shit. What is it like some school field trip you’re escorting kids too or something?” another asks.

“No, just me and my friends wanting to go see it.” That wasn’t entirely true, but it’s not like he can blurt out and say he’s escorting the Prince of Lucis to meet with Titan. 

“Oh, so you’re with those two loud kids and that stuffy looking librarian guy?” 

“Yup.” 

“Wow, so you must be the brawn of the group with all those nice muscles, and you’re really hot too.” another of the girls coo and unabashedly gropes his bicep. 

Gladio internally rolls his eyes but grins on the outside. “Thanks hun.”

“Yeah, you look like one of those statues I saw once in Insomnia, those strong warriors of old stationed by the ones who looked so regal.” another woman says and gives his other arm affection. 

Gladio smiles proudly, those were the past Kings and their Shields made from the most beautiful stone to be found around Ravatough. King Regis’ and his Father’s were in the works to be built before the assault, he couldn’t wait to see them but now it wouldn’t matter, the whole area was probably leveled. But once everything gets dealt with and rebuilt, he’ll make sure a tribute is placed in its wake along with Noct’s and his.

“Yeah, I saw those. The sculptors were godlike in their craftsmanship, such attention to detail. They were able to capture Lady Zinnia’s beauty yet strength as she stood with her sword and shield alongside King Maksim; even if they made him taller than her, dude was barely five foot six and she was a beastly woman at six-three.” he says and stops when he notices the bewildered looks given to him by the group. 

One of the men snorts. “Yeah, sure, if you say so.” 

“Dude, did you just make that up to sound cool? Lame.” another teases. 

Gladio purses his lips and frowns as the group laughs, turning away to head back to the caravan being so done with their shit now. As he walks over though he notices someone hovering by the table and his book he had set down, making the Shield grimace when he remembers the trashy fifth wheel tagging along. The man looks with great intrigue at the book before looking to Gladio with his greasy grin.

“Ah, hello there, have you grown tired of mingling with the uncivilized peasants?” 

“Uh, sure.” Gladio says, becoming uneasy as the man’s amber eyes seem to dance with smarm. The Shield looks down at his book, finding it under the man’s long and bony fingers, resisting the urge to snatch it up and clutch like Prompto does with his camera; blondie actually hissed at him once when he accidentally bumped the device.

The man must have noticed him eyeing the book since he carefully picks it up and looks at him with intrigue. “Did your Advisor friend leave this out? Maybe you should return it inside for safe keeping, the night air will grow humid and it may end up damaging the old tome. But I must say, it’s rare to see writ about Solheim’s agriculture and its effects on the culture of the other countries.” he says, sounding almost nostalgic. “He’s a very well read young man. And such discerning _eyes_ too.”

“It’s uh-” Gladio says, turning slightly red. “It’s actually mine.”

One of Ardyn’s brows pique with interest, looking down at the book then to the large man. Gladio can see the disbelief grow on the man’s face, just like everyone else’s, and sighs deeply. But then the man flips to a page, scanning a finger carefully over the text and then smiling. 

“Chapter seven.”

Gladio shuffles a bit and thinks before he speaks. “A new pigment of red was discovered after bloodroot was steeped with a cloth when a medicine man believed drinking the liquid would cure ailments. He dropped dead since it was poisonous but those who found him marveled at the color it made the cloth. They originally had to find a rare type of scaley insect and use it to acquire the color red, but the plant was easily grown and in great abundance.”

“I must say, I had you pegged as a dunderwhelp, my apologies.”

“Thanks, but I’m used to it. Most think I trained my muscles and not my mind. My Father forbade his children from being uneducated and lazy, said it'd be a disgrace to our lineage.” 

Ardyn’s lips curl into a strange smile, one that makes Gladio shudder. “He sounds like a great man.”

“He was.” Gladio says and fidgets. “Can I uh, have my book? Please?”

Ardyn smiles and hands the book over but to Gladio’s shock, sits and motions for him to join. “It is rare to find those interested in these matters, I’m sure you have had the same trouble.”

Gladio hesitates briefly before throwing caution to the wind and taking a seat. “Yeah. So what’s your opinion on Vespasiano Palmisano’s _Dour Amore_? Do you think his choice to use dirt when adding darkness to the woman’s features was to coincide with the theme of the painting or his own detest of females.”

“Oh it was truly the latter, he believed women were lesser beings but he was always made to paint them, so he would do horrible things to them in his works. That’s why he was executed after it was found out what he used when painting a portrait of the Queen.” Ardyn says, a deep smile on his face. “Do you have a favorite Cathedral design? All the major regions have grand differences in their structures, any that stick out as truly divine?” 

“Truthfully, even though they’ve been our enemies for centuries, Niflheim. The medieval gothic mixed with modern machinery is hauntingly beautiful. Actually wouldn’t have minded seeing it in person instead of just from documentaries during school.”

The two men continue to chat on, even as the other three return and stare at them with shock. But they go about their business after pulling their jaws off the ground and let them be, not because they decided to throw Gladio to the proverbial creepy-ass trash wolf to save themselves, but because the man seemed to be enjoying himself and finally had someone who shared in his odd passion; even if it’s with an equally odd man.

**Author's Note:**

> If you like, come visit and chat with me on my [Tumblr](https://catlady1986.tumblr.com/)


End file.
